


When the Stars are Shining Brightly

by orphan_account



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies), Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Also Crack, Chris freaks out, Claustrophobia, Egyptologist!Chris, Eventual Smut, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Slow Build, chrismenrah, like really freaks out, lots of fluff, meaning the night-openings aren't a thing yet, the events are set shortly after the first movie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-24
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-23 04:51:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4863803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chris is an Egyptology student at the local university, and gets access to the archives of the American Museum of National History to do some research for his paper. He arrives at the museum late one afternoon, but little does he know that the exhibits at the museum wakes up at night. He also doesn't know that he will get to meet the very pharaoh that he is writing his paper on, or that said pharaoh will take a special interest in him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So guess who got inspired by yet another song and had to write another fic! It is not exactly climbing class, but close enough. I am really hooked on the idea of Chris/Ahkmenrah and this fic has been so much fun to write!  
> It bothers me that Chris doesn't have a canon last name, but I went with Pilgrim because of Josh's "Godspeed Pilgrim" comment in the game. Just ignore it, really.

Chris was more than happy when the director of the American Museum of Natural History, Dr. McPhee, sent him the email that confirmed he was allowed to use some of the museum’s archives as research for his final exam paper. The young Egyptologist had often visited the museum during opening hours, spending a lot of time in the museum’s Egypt department, just studying the hieroglyphs on the walls and on the golden tablet that hung above the sarcophagus of king Ahkmenrah. The Tablet of Ahkmenrah it was called, and every time Chris looked at it, he could not help the sense of foreboding that filled him. But at the same time he also felt excited, as if something great was about to happen. Countless times he had just stood there, watching the tablet, waiting for something great to happen. But it never did. At least not in the past.

He had often visited the museum at the young age, and ever since he first laid eyes upon the Tablet of Ahkmenrah, he had been a lost cause. It started with him reading every book on Egypt there was, memorising the names of the great pharaohs, the pyramids and their gods. Then he had watched every single documentary ever made, and even travelled to Egypt when he turned 16. After that trip, it was no longer a question about what Chris would do with his life, and now, four years later, he was writing his first exam paper on the subject.

The museum was relatively empty when he arrived late one afternoon. Not that Chris didn’t really minded. It only gave him more peace to do his research. As he passed the giant Tyrannosaurus skeleton he could not help but feel like it was watching him. He stopped for a moment and just stared at the bones of the long-dead creature. How alive it seemed in the fading afternoon light. He shook his head and headed towards the main desk. He was imagining things again and that was the last thing he needed right now. He needed to focus on his research.

A young woman with dark brown hair was sitting at the desk. She gave him a pleasant smile.

“How can I help you?” she asked in a kind and helpful voice.

“Oh, uhm… My name is Christopher Pilgrim,” he said, fumbling in his pocket to pull out the printed-out email he had received and showed it to her. “I’ve been allowed to use your archive as research material for my exam.”

“Oh yes, the boss mentioned you,” the lady said with a nod. “The archives are in the basement dear, you go straight ahead and then down the staircase.”

Chris nodded at her and offered a thankful smile before heading off in the direction she had shown him. He had never been down in the archives before, as they were usually locked off and unavailable for the public. The process of emailing the museum had taken months of pleading and waiting for them to give him the permission he needed. They had of course run a background check on him and taken forever to reply to each email. The email confirming his access had arrived only this afternoon and Chris had not hesitated at all to gather his stuff and jump on the next buss.

His bag was heavy with books and his laptop, as well as a ton of notes and a notebook filled with hieroglyphs and writing that was almost as readable to the average man. Once he was down the stairs, he set it down by the door and flickered on the lights. In what looked like a typical cinematic shot from every movie ever, the lights came on one row at the time, revealing bookshelf upon bookshelf filled with old logbooks, scrolls and heaps of paper.

“Whoa,” he mumbled to himself as he started to make his way inside the long hallway of a room. The collection was bigger than any archive he had seen before, but then again the college archive wasn’t that big after all. He brushed his fingers against the back of a row of dusty books and gave a small chuckle when he found his fingertips covered in a thick layer of grey dust. “Seems like no one has been down here for ages.”

 

*

 

Larry arrived at work as usual, not knowing about the young boy in the archives, or that said boy would soon have the biggest freak-out in his life. He was just expecting yet another night at the museum, keeping everything in order with the help of Teddy and Ahkmenrah, listen to Jedediah and Octavius’ endless flirting and deal with Rexy possibly knocking stuff over with his tail. He sat back in his chair behind the desk and looked at his watch to see how long it was until the museum started waking up. One minute to go. Larry sighed and closed his eyes, only to jerk into an upright position when the phone rang. He scrambled for it and picked up the line.

“Hello?” Larry asked, confused over who might call at this hour.

“Ah, Larry,” the voice of Dr. McPhee said in the other end of the line. “I’m so sorry, but I forgot to mention that one of the university students is still at the museum. He came to have a look at the archives and won’t be any bother. Just let him out when he is done, alright?”

Larry nearly dropped the phone in surprise. He could see Rexy beginning to move and prepare for a night of playing around, and Teddy was climbing off the horse.

“Right,” he said after a moment of silence. “Right, I’ll let him out. No trouble.”

He hung up and turned, only to see the confused look on Teddy’s face.

“What is wrong, son?” the former president of the United States asked.

Larry hesitated a moment, trying to process the new information and how to deal with it.

“There’s a kid down in the basement that is soon going to learn that everything in this museum comes to life at night,” he said after a short pause. “And I need to go find him before some of the others does. They could scare the living daylight out of him.”

Teddy looked confused for a brief moment, but then nodded. “Go see to him then, I will keep an eye on things up here.”

Larry nodded. “Thanks Teddy.”

And with that, he grabbed his flashlight and headed in the direction of the archives.

 

*

 

Chris had settled down beside one of the desks with a heap of old logbooks beside him. He was carefully flipping through the pages on one about the Ahkmenrah expedition when he heard a loud bang. He lifted his head and looked around. The archives were empty and the door was still closed.

“What the-?” he mumbled as the sound came again. It came from above, he realised. He tilted his head back a little, frowning. That was weird. He knew he was under the exhibitions, and it sounded as something huge had been knocked over.

A low _thud_ distracted him from the noise above. He turned around to see a worn down mannequin standing in front of him, wearing a mouldy farmer’s outfit. A shudder ran down his spine at the sight. That hadn’t been there before. What the hell was going on?

“Who’s there?” he called, trying his best to keep his voice steady. “If this is some joke it’s not funny.”

No reply. No reply other than the mannequin turning its head and looking directly at him. Chris scrambled to his feet as the tall figure started to move towards him.

“No, stay back!” he said, but the mannequin didn’t listen. It just kept coming at him.

Without thinking, Chris started to run. He ran towards the door, his heart hammering in his chest. What the hell was going on here?

He slammed towards the door and looked over his shoulder. There were now three mannequins heading towards him, all in farmer’s outfits. “What do you want?” he asked as his hand fumbled for the door handle. They didn’t reply. Chris could feel the fear beginning to fill him. He couldn’t take his eyes of the creatures and he just didn’t manage to get the handle.

Suddenly he was pushed forward and fell to his knees.

“Oh crap,” a male voice said behind him and he turned his head to see a man in a guard’s uniform standing in the door. Before he could form any words, the man reached out a hand to him.

“Come on,” the man said, looking from Chris to the mannequins. Chris didn’t hesitate to take the offered hand and was pulled to his feet. He gave the creatures one finale look before he bolted past the guard and up the stairs.

His heart was hammering in his chest and panic had definitely taken hold of him. Chris could hear the guard call for him to wait up, but he just had to get away from the basement. He stumbled out the door and into the main hall of the museum, only to freeze at the sight that met him.

Animals, all sorts of animals from the African savannah were wandering around the room. The tyrannosaurus skeleton was playing catch with cavemen. A mammoth was making its way down the hallway. Six dummies dressed in civil war clothing were walking around with guns slung over their shoulder. And the 26th president of the United States was riding around with a Native American girl on the horse with him.

Chris let out what must have been the most unmanly scream in history, then his body started working again. He ran, taking left and heading down a hallway. What the hell was going on? His mind was racing, trying to make sense of it all, but he couldn’t. There was absolutely no logical explanation for this.

He scooted around a corner and glanced around his shoulder to see if anything was following him. The hallway behind him was empty, but for how long? He could hear the shout of the night guard, calling for him to stop, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. He had to get away. He had to find a way out of here!

Suddenly he slammed into something and he went down, barely managing to catch his fall with his hands and knees. He could feel his glasses slip down his nose, nearly falling off. Blinking, he straightened them with one hand, his mind still unfocused and trying desperately to grasp for a solution.

“What do you think you’re doing?” a voice asked from underneath him.

Chris blinked and realised he was looking into a pair of dark eyes. He was hovering just over the other man, hands planted on each side of his head and one knee between the man’s legs. For a moment, all Chris could do was study his face, because this was the most beautiful man he had seen in his entire life. And then he noticed the golden crown and jewelled robes.

“I… Uhm… I…”

He could see a grin form on the man’s face and something mischievous glint in his eyes. “Not that I mind, of course, but I usually get a bit more than stuttering when someone decides to pin me down.”

The tone in his voice was enough to make Chris scramble off him and back up against the wall.

“What the hell is going on around here?” Chris asked in confusion. “I saw the animals and the dinosaur and…” He paused. He had been studying Ancient Egypt his entire life and there was no mistaking the clothing of the other man. “Oh my god,” he whispered.

“Ahkmenrah, are you alright?” the night guard asked as he turned the corner and saw the two lying on the floor. Chris’ heart flipped in his chest. No, this was impossible.

“Yes,” the man, or should he say the Egyptian king, said as he rose to his feet and brushed himself off. “Despite the fact that your little friend attacked me.”

Chris couldn’t hold his tongue. “What on earth is going on around here? Who the hell are you?”

“I am Ahkmenrah,” the Egyptian man replied without hesitation, looking down at where Chris was sitting leaned against the wall. “Fourth king of the fourth king, and ruler of the land of my fathers.”

Chris thought he was going to faint. The night guard groaned and offered Chris his hand again. “Yeah and I am Larry Daley.”

Chris hesitated before taking the hand again. “Christopher Pilgrim. Most people call me Chris.”

“Right then Chris,” Larry said, pulling him back up to his feet. “You need to calm down. I get that you are pretty freaked out at the moment but there is a logical explanation to all of this.”

“Really?” Chris asked, glancing at Ahkmenrah.

“No, not really but just go with it,” Larry replied. He took a deep breath before continuing. “It is all because of the Tablet of Ahkmenrah. For some reason I cannot explain it wakes everything at the museum to life at night.”

Chris blinked. Then started laughing. “No way. Seriously, I’m not that big of a fool. Come on, tell me what is really going on here.”

“He is telling the truth,” Ahkmenrah said. “The tablet wakes everyone up at night. I died 4000 years ago, why else would I be here?”

“The point is, everything comes to life and you weren’t supposed to be here after opening hours,” Larry said with a hint of annoyance. Ahk wasn’t helping at all. If anything, he was making everything worse for the kid.

“But I got an email from Dr McPhee saying-“

“Yeah, he has no idea what is going on around here at night,” Larry frowned. “It is not safe for you to be around here at night.”

By now Chris had managed to calm down enough to think rationally. He ignored Larry and turned to Ahkmenrah, biting his lower lip.

“I’m sorry I knocked you over, my, uhm… Your grace.” That was not the correct way to address a pharaoh, he realised that just after the words had left his mouth. His face flushed a bright pink and he cast his gaze down, embarrassed.

Ahkmenrah gave him a curious look and glanced at Larry. “I accept your apology, Christopher of the Pilgrims,” he said after a pause. “Or Chris, as they call you. You seem familiar with who I am?”

“Oh, yes,” Chris said, lifting his gaze back to Ahkmenrah. “I have been studying you, your family and your culture for years.”

“Then you should know how to properly address me, Christopher,” Ahkmenrah said with a hint of amusement in his voice. Larry could see that the pharaoh was way too pleased with himself and with the attention the young man was giving him.

“Of course, your majesty,” Chris said, giving a small bow.

“Alright, just stop,” Larry said. “Please don’t boast his ego or he will have all of us address him like that.”

“As you should,” Ahkmenrah said. “I am, after all, the true ruler here.”

“Yeah, but you still need to follow my rules.” Larry turned to look at Chris. “I’ll go get your things. You can come back here tomorrow when things are less chaotic.”

“Actually,” Chris said, glancing from Ahkmenrah to Larry. “I was kinda hoping you would let me stay here and ask his majesty a few questions. I mean, I could learn so much from just talking to him. A lot more than just from reading those dusty old papers in the archives.”

Larry looked at the two of them and sighed. This was going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Ahkmenrah get to know each other better, and Larry has to explain to Ahk how dating actually works.

“Tell me again how the tablet works.”

Ahkmenrah sighed. It was the third time Chris asked him this question, and he had tried his best to explain. Yet for some reason, the blonde man didn’t seem to want to understand.

“I don’t know,” Ahk sighed. “It just works. Some spell was inlaid in the gold, harnessing the powers of the gods. When all the panels are turned correctly it just works. I don’t know exactly how it works. My father promised me he would tell me one day, but we never had the time.”

“Because he died?” Chris asked carefully, looking at the Egyptian king. The two of them were back in the Egypt department, talking in quiet voices. Ahkmenrah was seated at the edge of his coffin while Chris was standing before the tablet, studying it.

“No,” Ahkmenrah said. “Because of the expedition. I was buried in the same tomb as my mother and father, but when the archaeologists came they split us up. I have no idea where they sent them though. I have not seen them for a very long time.”

“Oh,” Chris said, bowing his head. “Where did they send you?”

“England,” Ahkmenrah replied. “Cambridge to be exact. I was at display in the Egyptology department. Those nights were pretty lonely, because it was only me there.”

Chris nodded and turned to look at the young pharaoh. “So that’s why you speak English.”

Ahkmenrah nodded. “Yes. I ended up reading a lot while I spent my time there. Both history and fiction, though I still have some trouble telling what is what. There are no dragons, are there?”

Chris laughed. “No, there are no dragons. They are only stories.”

“Then how come there are tales about dragons from the whole world?” Ahkmenrah asked. “Could there be some truth to the tales?”

“I don’t know,” Chris laughed. “I spent my entire life studying you and your people.”

“And yet you know so little of us.”

Chris bit his lip. “You died 4000 years ago. A lot disappears in 4000 years, Ahk. A lot changes. It took us forever to find out the little we know, and that is why I think talking to you about it is such a golden opportunity. I mean, you were there. You know a lot more than we will ever find out on our own.”

A small smile formed on Ahkmenrah’s lips. “Then I am glad to be of help,” he said. “What more do you wish to know?”

Chris paused. He had already gotten a lot of helpful answers from Ahk, but there were other things that were tugging on his mind.

“I wanna know how you first reacted to this museum. When you woke up all those years ago and realised you were no longer alone.”

Ahkmenrah looked away. He pushed himself to his feet and walked around the sarcophagus, facing the entrance to the Egypt department. He did not want to think about that. All those years locked up, spending his nights screaming and banging on the coffin, begging for someone to open it for him, but never heard until that night Larry let him out. The darkness was all he had known for all those years. Buried alive, suffering every single night in the darkness. All alone.

“Confusing,” he replied. It wasn’t a lie. He had first felt confused when he first woke and was locked in his coffin. He had also been confused to wake up to a whole museum filled with people and creatures he had only read about, or never even heard about. “But it did not take long until I found my purpose. This is my kingdom now. And I must rule it.”

He turned to face Chris, smiling. “Will you return tomorrow night, Christopher of the Pilgrims?”

“Maybe,” Chris said. “But I can’t spend the whole night. I have lectures early in the morning and I need some sleep in between.”

He pulled up his sleeve to check the time on his wrist watch. It was nearly 3 am.

Ahkmenrah nodded slowly. “It is late.”

“Yeah, I need to get going,” Chris sighed. He looked at the young pharaoh and gave a small laugh. “I still cannot believe you are real. Maybe this is all some weird dream?”

“You will just have to come back tomorrow night to be sure,” Ahkmenrah replied with a smile. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Chris paused. “Why not? I mean, have you ever left the museum?”

Ahkmenrah shook his head. “No. If we are outside when the sun rises, we turn to dust. That is my curse. I will live forever, yes, but only at night. And I am trapped here. My fate is tied to the tablet.”

“Ah, well that’s a shame,” Chris said. “There’s a whole beautiful world out there. I’d love to show it to you some time.”

“Really?” Ahkmenrah asked. “You would do that for me?”

“Of course. You have told me so much about your world. It is only fair I show you mine.”

Ahkmenrah considered that for a moment. He had not been outside somewhere since the night he first was let out of his sarcophagus, but that had been to bring everyone else inside. He had only seen the lights of the city from the park, or the museum window, and he had wondered many times what it was like to be out there.

“I’ll think about it,” he replied, carefully watching Chris’ face for reactions. “But only if you take me.”

“Of course,” Chris laughed. “It will be an adventure.”

They smiled at each other for a moment. This was really the start of something extremely weird, and yet really beautiful. Chris was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on, and why this ancient pharaoh would even talk to him and answer his questions. There had to be some reason behind it, right?

“It’s getting late,” Chris sighed after a pause. “I should be getting back home.”

Ahkmenrah nodded. “I’ll walk you out,” he said. Chris nodded in reply and they started heading towards the exit.

 

*

 

“So how did it go?” Larry asked as he locked the door after Chris. Ahkmenrah was standing behind him, watching the blonde head down the steps of the museum.

“I like him,” Ahkmenrah replied, not taking his eyes of Chris’ figure. “He is very beautiful.”

Larry sighed. Of course this was going to happen. It was bad enough he had to deal with Jed and Octavius fucking each other all over the museum, but if Ahkmenrah was to have an affair with a normal guy… It was gonna be bad. Really bad.

“I didn’t know you liked guys, Ahk,” Larry said, looking curiously at him.

“Of course I do,” Ahkmenrah said. “I would get a daily selection of boys who willingly gave themselves to me. Ah… Boys…”

The smirk on Ahkmenrah’s face told Larry he wasn’t joking. “So you never married? Never planned on having kids?”

“No,” Ahkmenrah said, looking confused. “Why would I want to do that?”

“Because you needed an heir?” Larry suggested. “You know, someone to sit the throne when you died?”

Ahkmenrah laughed. “It’s been 4000 years, Larry. Do I look dead to you?”

Larry was about to reply, but Ahk cut him off.

“If my brother had not killed me I would have lived forever, thanks to the power of the tablet. I would have been immortal.”

“Alright, fine,” Larry said, too tired to argue further. “So you like Chris. I get it. Just don’t expect him to offer himself to you just like that.”

“Why not?” Ahkmenrah asked in confusion. “He knows who I am. He knows what an honour it is to be mine.”

“That’s not how it works these days,” Larry pointed out. “Chris is a young guy who can do as he likes. And if he likes you too, he will come around, but he will not do anything out of duty or whatever.”

“Then what will it take? If not duty, then what?”

Larry didn’t even need to think twice to answer that. “Love.”

“Love,” Ahkmenrah repeated, tasting the word as if for the first time.

“Yes, love. If he loves you enough to be with you, then he will… Give himself to you or whatever you say.”

Ahkmenrah groaned. “Can I not just seduce him instead? It is much simpler.”

“Not if you want him to come back the night after,” Larry said. “Not if you want him to stay.”

Ahkmenrah laughed and a mischievous grin spread on his face.

“Oh I will make him stay alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all of you who leaves comments and kudos! I will try to have a longer chapter for you next time, and hopefully it won't be too long until then!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris finds himself dreaming about a certain pharaoh. He later confesses of his meeting with Ahk to his best friend Sam, and confronts Ashley about the crush she has on him.

_“Christopher.”_

_Ahkmenrah was standing in front of his sarcophagus, facing Chris as he entered the long hallway of a room. He was not wearing his heavy jewellery, robes or crown. In fact, he was naked except for a thin length of golden fabric that was draped across his waist, meeting at his crotch and hanging down to the floor. The V-shape of the fabric revealed a patch of hair running down the tan skin from his navel and dipping down beneath the fabric. He was waiting for him._

_“I knew you would return to me,” the pharaoh purred as he started slowly moving towards the blonde man. He was all muscle under his toned skin and his hair was short and messy, as if he had recently run his fingers through it and pushed it back._

_Chris swallowed. The sight was too much for him and he could already feel his body reacting long before the Egyptian king touched him. And touch him he did._

_Ahkmenrah walked over to him and grabbed his hand, then led him back towards the sarcophagus. Once they had passed the giant jackal guards, Ahk pushed him up against one of the columns with strong arms. He held him there for a moment, just smirking at him before one hand went down to slip underneath the fabric of Chris’ jeans and boxers._

_Wordlessly, Ahkmenrah grabbed the blonde man’s cock and started rubbing it, the friction causing Chris to moan softly. The pharaoh gave a hum of approval and unzipped Chris’ jeans before pulling his cock out and starting to stroke it slowly, all the while keeping eye contact._

_Chris moaned loudly at the sensation, hips bucking forwards but Ahkmenrah forced him to stay still. The pharaoh started to mutter words in his own native tongue, and Chris could tell from his tone that they were filthy ones._

_Then, without warning, Ahkmenrah dropped to his knees in front of Chris and gave his cock a tentative lick before taking him all the way down his throat without gagging. The sight and sensation combined reduced Chris to a whimpering mess, as waves of pleasure washed through him. His hand found its way into the pharaoh’s hair and he squeezed his eyes shut as he could feel a wet tongue running up the veiny underside of his cock._

_“Ah-Ahkmenrah,” he moaned, tilting his head back._

 

Chris opened his eyes. The bedroom was dark, despite a thin ray of sunlight that had broken through the curtains. He was alone. And he was hard. So impossibly hard.

He sat up a little and ran his hand through his messy hair. It had only been a dream, but oh what a dream! It had seemed so real, the pleasure had felt so real. He reached under the duvet and found that beads of precome were leaking from the tip of his cock. Great. Just great.

He licked his lips and closed his eyes again, trying to conjure up images from the dream as he started stroking himself slowly. It didn’t take long before he was moaning the pharaoh’s name under his breath, back slightly arched as he stroked himself faster and faster. The image of Ahkmenrah’s mouth around his cock swam before his eyes and it only took a few more strokes before he came hard, spilling all over the sheets.

“Fuck,” he panted, eyes closed as he bathed in the afterglow of his orgasm. This was bad. Really fucking bad. Last night had been an emotional rollercoaster filled with surprises and this was the last thing he needed right now. How was he supposed to be able to go back there to finish his research if he had those images filling his head? It wasn’t fair. At all. And it was so wrong as well! Ahkmenrah was a 4000 year old pharaoh that only came to life at night. Technically he was dead. Which meant that Chris had technically just masturbated to a corpse. Great. Just great.

An hour later, Chris arrived at the university after a quick shower and a breakfast consisting of try toast and a coke. He really should do some grocery shopping after his lectures. He made his way to his locker to grab some of his books and just as he was about to put them in his bag, he heard a familiar voice behind him.

“Hey Chris.”

He turned around and saw his friend Sam standing behind him. She was smiling, her hair tied back in her usual knot and her hands clutching her psychology books. Chris smiled back at her and shoved his books in his bag.

“Greetings Samantha,” he said jokingly. “What do I owe for you to grace me with your company?”

She snorted at him and punched his arm playfully. “You ditched me and Ash last night. We were supposed to go to a movie, remember?”

Chris slapped his forehead. “Shit, I completely forgot.”

Sam raised an eyebrow.

“We tried to call you, but our phone was out of reach,” she said. “Where were you?”

“Oh,” Chris said. He had not realised. “My phone… Eh, I was in the archives at the museum all night. I probably didn’t have any juice down there.”

Sam laughed. “You? Not checking your phone every other second? Who are you and what have you done to Chris?”

Chris snorted.

“I found a lot of new information on king Ahkmenrah.” Just saying his name sent a swarm of butterflies fluttering in his stomach. “I got carried away.”

“Ashley was really upset,” Sam said with a shake of her head. “Please don’t let her down like that again.”

Chris bit his lip. It was true he and Ashley had a “thing” going on, but he had never led her to believe he wanted more than just a friendship. She on the other hand had a pretty big crush on him, something Chris not really minded. The only thing that bothered him was her tendency to misinterpret his actions, and mistake them for flirting. And if he said anything to her at this point, he would break her heart.

“Sam,” he sighed. “You know that she is misunderstanding what is going on between us and-“

Sam gave a small gasp, then clamped her hand over her mouth. She gave him a surprised look.

 “Oh my god,” she said as she slowly lowered her hand. “You’ve met someone, haven’t you?”

Chris would never understand how she was able to tell. It was just a gif she had. Sam was extremely good at reading people and was rarely mistaken in her assumptions.

“I wouldn’t-“ Chris started, but Sam cut him off.

“Oh come on, just tell me! I promise, I won’t tell anyone.”

She was too convincing. Chris sighed.

“I kinda ran into this guy at the museum yesterday,” he said slowly. “And… He is somewhat of an expert on Ancient Egypt.”

“And you got completely lost in his eyes while he talked to you about pharaohs and tombs, right?” Sam said in an amused tone. She was one of the few people who knew Chris was gay, and that was because he had let it slip that he had a huge crush on Mike Munroe in high school.

“I didn’t… He’s really hot, okay?”

Sam just laughed at him. Chris could feel the blush keeping up his cheek and an image of Ahkmenrah’s smirking face flashed before his mind’s eye. Oh yes, he was definitely hot.

“Just…. Just don’t let Ashley get her hopes up, alright? You know how emotional she can get.”

“Yeah, I do,” Chris sighed. “But I don’t want to break her heart either. She is one of my best friends.”

“I know she is,” Sam agreed. “Which is exactly why you got to tell her now. You need to let her know that you view her only as a friend before you even consider doing anything with this Egyptologist of yours.”

“Fine,” Chris said. “I’ll talk to her today. Make things clear.”

“You do that,” Sam said, offering him a smile. “I gotta go to class now. Have fun at the museum.”

Chris snorted. “Oh I will,” he mumbled to himself.

 

*

 

He found her sitting alone in the library, reading one of her many romance novels. A pile of other literature books lay piled on the desk beside her, together with her worn-down notebook that Chris knew contained all of her writing ideas and poems.

Ashley looked up when she heard him approach and a smile spread on her lips when she saw him.

“Chris,” she said, her voice filled with excitement. Then her expression hardened. “Where were you last night?”

Chris bit his lower lip, hesitating. He had to tell her this, but seeing her like that, so content and happy with her books reminded him of what he liked so much about her. She was such a kind and lovable person and he almost felt bad for not having feelings for her.

“I came to talk to you about that,” Chris said slowly. He could see in her eyes that she was confused, so he continued. “I was at the museum last night. I finally got access to the archives and I just had to go. I completely forgot about the whole movie thing.”

Ashley nodded slowly. Chris had been talking a lot about getting access to those archives and she knew how much it meant to him and his studies. She smiled at him.

“Well that changes things,” she said in her best flirty tone. “But I still haven’t forgiven you. In fact, you should make it up to me. Buy me dinner or something.”

Chris sighed.

“Ashley… That’s kinda what I wanted to talk about…”

She narrowed her eyes, studying his face. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not gonna buy you dinner,” Chris said, looking away. “And I’m not gonna go see a movie with you either. Ashley, you’re one of my best friends, but I… I just don’t see you like that…”

She looked like he had just punched her in the face. Her mouth opened, as she wanted to say something, but she made no sound. She blinked. Once, twice. Then he began to notice the tears forming. She shook her head.

“Chris, what… What are you saying?”

“That you are like a sister to me,” Chris said, nodding slowly while biting his lower lip. “And… Well, I’m gay, Ash.”

Her jaw dropped. “What? No, you’re not… Are you?”

Chris nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “I am.”

“But… But… _Chris_!”

“I’ve wanted to tell you before but I didn’t want to hurt your feelings,” Chris said. He could see she was upset, possibly even angry, but she was also trapped. There was nothing she could say.

“I… I thought… I thought we had a thing..?”

“I know,” Chris sighed. “I know, I should have told you before… I just… I haven’t really come out yet… At least not officially…”

Ashley clamped her hand before her mouth and nodded slowly. He could see the disappointment in her eyes, but at least there were no tears.

“So are we good?” he asked.

“Y-yeah,” Ashley said as she removed her hand. “Yes, we’re good.”

“Alright,” Chris said, giving her a small smile. “I gotta go to my next class, but I’ll see you around.”

Ashley nodded and gave him a small wave. As he turned she sighed and bit her lower lip.

“Yeah, see ya,” she mumbled to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry these chapters are so short, I promise the next ones will be a lot longer! I am really bad at slow-build because I am so impatient, but hopefully that little taste of smut will make you forgive the lack of content in this chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a reason Ahkmenrah doesn't like talking about his time locked inside the sarcophagus. And Chris is soon to learn why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo sorry for the long wait you guys, I have been at work and had the worst case of writer's block you can imagine!
> 
> Also I just need to make one thing clear. In this AU, every Until Dawn character exist except for Josh. Every Night at the Museum character is also there of course.

“We shouldn’t be here Hannah.”

“It’s okay Beth, I just wanna see the mummy.”

The older of the two fifth grade girls sighed and followed her naïve sister up to the sarcophagus. Despite it was in the middle of opening hours, the Egypt department was dimly lit with only a couple of torches and a single spotlight above the pharaoh’s tomb.

“Mrs Evans is gonna be so angry when she finds out,” Beth warned her sister. “We should get back to the rest of the class.”

Hannah already had her hands placed on the golden surface of the sarcophagus, ready to push it open. She was always the curious one and could not really help herself. Her sister was behind her, placing a warning hand on her shoulder. Hannah knew Beth was right, but she just had to see it. She needed to know if it was truly as terrifying as everyone said. She had heard some of the boys talking about how it could come to life, and how it devoured small children who wandered around on their own. She wondered if Beth was scared.

“I just…”

She was about to push the sarcophagus open when she heard footsteps down the hallway. The two girls turned around, backs against the sarcophagus as their teacher stopped in front of the door to the Egypt department. Mrs Evans sighed in relief.

“There you are,” she said in a stern voice. “I have been looking everywhere for you.”

Hannah swallowed and started to fumble with the lock of the sarcophagus behind her back. Beth was quick to explain.

“I’m so sorry Mrs Evans, we… We just wanted to look at the mummy.”

With a quiet click, Hannah pushed the lock back in place. She gave a relieved sigh. Of course Beth would rather share the blame, or take it all upon herself. Mrs Evans gave the two girls a tired look.

“Well, you’ve seen it,” she said. “Now come along, we still have a lot to see before our bus takes us back to the school.”

“Yes Mrs Evans,” the two girls said in unison.

The teacher nodded and turned, heading out of the Egypt department with the twins on her tail.

 

*

 

Chris had been coming over to the museum almost every night for two weeks straight now, and he realised that he cared less about his research with every visit. The first few nights had been magical, just listening to Ahkmenrah paint vivid pictures with only words while he scribbled down notes. Then Ahk had shown him the hieroglyphs on the walls and told Chris the true meaning behind each and every one of them. But as the first week passed, Chris found he only wanted to spend time with Ahk. So he left his papers and books behind and chose to instead sit somewhere quiet and listen to the pharaoh’s stories about being a ruler and how hard it had been. And in return, he told Ahkmenrah about his world, and his life. It was strange to have such an ancient man be so interested in today’s culture, but then again Ahk had spent 54 years locked up in that sarcophagus, and missed a lot since he was displayed at Cambridge. Not that Chris minded. He had promised he’d show Ahkmenrah his world, and this was a good beginning. It also gave him an excuse to spend more time with the pharaoh, who clearly did not seem to mind his company.

Chris was running a bit late this very night. He walked straight past the main entrance and towards the back door, ringing the doorbell. Larry had grown tired of letting him in the front every night, and since Chris kept visiting, the night guard had given up and told the student to just come to the back entrance instead.

It didn’t take long before Larry opened the door, and Chris could already see on his face that he was growing tired of this. He almost felt a bit sorry for the older man, who had to deal with him like this, but he guessed Ahkmenrah had talked him into continuing to let Chris in at night and probably made some sort of deal. Still, Larry was just doing his job, which was probably hard enough on its own, but now he also had to deal with a young man showing up every night to hang out with the pharaoh. Yeah, Chris definitely felt sorry for him.

“Hey,” he said, offering the night guard a friendly smile. Larry nodded and let him inside.

“Hey kid,” Larry replied as he closed the door. It wasn’t like Chris and Larry didn’t get along or anything, it was just that Chris felt like he was interfering with his job and making things a lot harder for him. Still, Larry hadn’t exactly uttered his complaints out loud. “How’s the paper going?”

“Slow,” Chris admitted. “Horrible case of writer’s block. I have most of the information I need, I just have to figure out how to put the words down on the paper.”

“Ah,” Larry said. “It’ll loosen up shortly, don’t worry. You just need the right inspiration.”

He gave Chris a strange look, then gestured towards the door that lead into the exhibits. “After you.”

Chris nodded and walked past the night guard and into the museum itself. Rexy was already moving around and he could see Attila the Hun and his companions stand over by the counter, talking. He frowned. Usually Ahkmenrah would be waiting for him somewhere in the main hall.

“Hey, Larry,” Chris said, turning around just as the night guard entered. “Have you seen Ahk?”

Larry furrowed his brow, then frowned. “No. Actually I haven’t.”

“That’s weird,” Chris said. “He usually waits for me here.”

“He’s around somewhere,” Larry shrugged. “Just go look for him.”

Chris nodded. For some reason, his stomach was twisting unpleasantly and his palms were getting sweaty. Something was wrong. He could feel it.

 

*

 

He awoke to darkness. The inside of the sarcophagus was pitch black with absolutely no hint of light from the creak he usually left open. The fear gripped him instantly. He lifted his hands in an attempt to push off the lid, but it wouldn’t budge. No. NO!

Panic welled up in his chest as he slammed both palms hard against the lid, but it did nothing to move. He was trapped. He couldn’t get out. He hit the lid harder, again and again until something warm dripped onto his face. Blood. He paused as it trickled down his cheek, like a teardrop. Then he cried out.

“Help! Help me!”

He hit the lid harder, but this time a sharp pain shot down his arm and he stopped. No. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening. Not again.

“Help!”

No one came. Had they all abandoned him? Had he been moved away from the museum? Where was he? What was going on?

It wasn’t the first time he had been trapped like this. For years, countless years he had been trapped in the darkness as the walls of the sarcophagus closed in on him until he couldn’t move. He had screamed until his voice died away, night after night, but no one had let him out. No one but Larry.

“Larry?” he called out, already feeling his throat closing. “Chris?”

Chris would come. He was sure of it. Any minute now, Chris would open the lid and let him out. He closed his eyes.

“Please,” he whispered. He tried to move, but there was barely any room. “Someone please…”

No one came. Minutes passed by, but there wasn’t a sound to be heard outside the sarcophagus. The darkness were swallowing him, filling him up, draining him of all happiness and hope. He was trapped. Alone. Doomed to forever remain in his own tomb, never to see the light again. Never to laugh with someone. Never to see Chris again.

The very thought made him slam both fists against the lid. The shattering pain in his left wrist made him cry out. He roared in pain and hit the lid again and again, his scream becoming louder and louder until he thought his head would burst. He had to get out. He just had to.

He was screaming so loudly he didn’t hear the sound of footsteps in the hallway. He didn’t hear them break into a run. He didn’t hear the hands slamming against the lid of the sarcophagus.

“Ahkmenrah!”

He opened his eyes just in time to see the lid being pushed open. Chris stood above him, a terrified look in his eyes. Ahk was panting, eyes wild as he stared up at the blonde. There was an aching pain in his wrist and his throat was sore from the screaming.

“Chris,” he whispered. His voice was shaky and weak. It was only when he sat up when he realised he was trembling. He let out a shaky breath, then pushed himself out of the sarcophagus and towards Chris, who didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around him.

“Hey,” Chris said as he pulled him close. “It’s ok. You’re out now.”

“You came back,” Ahk said as he buried his face against Chris’ chest.

“Of course I did,” Chris said. Ahkmenrah could hear the smile in his voice.

 

*

“Ahk, I am so sorry,” Larry said.

Ahkmenrah gave a slow nod. He was sitting on the steps before the sarcophagus, a blanket wrapped around him while Sacajawea was tending to his broken wrist and bruised knuckles. Chris was sitting by his side, one arm draped protectively around the pharaoh’s shoulder while the other rested on his knee. He was frowning.

“How could this have happened?” he asked angrily. “He was in there for nearly two hours, how did it not occur to you that something was wrong?”

There was no mistaking the guilt on Larry’s face. The older man sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Someone must have locked it during opening hours… I cannot keep track of everything that goes on around here.”

“Two hours, Larry. _Two hours_!”

Chris had already figured Ahkmenrah had claustrophobia from the way he had talked about the sarcophagus and how uncomfortable it was to sleep in it. That, and the fact that he didn’t like to talk about the years he had been locked away.

“His wrist will be fine tomorrow,” Sacajawea said as she finished bandaging it. “That’s the good thing about the Tablet. All injuries we receive are healed when we wake up tomorrow night.”

Chris nodded and relaxed a little. At least Ahk had not received any lasting physical damages. Mentally though… He wasn’t sure yet, but it was clear that Ahkmenrah was in some sort of shock. He was trembling and only seemed to relax when Chris spoke to him in a quiet voice.

“I’m sorry, alright,” Larry sighed. “I’ll just…” He started backing away and gave Sacajawea a look. “We’ll give the two of you some privacy, alright?”

Chris furrowed his brow. That was strange.

“Alright,” he said, nodding. “Just… Don’t let it happen again, alright?”

“I promise,” Larry said before he and Sacajawea left the room.

Chris sighed and closed his eyes. Ahkmenrah was still shaking and staring at his feet.

“Hey,” Chris said, nudging him carefully. “It’s alright. I’ve got you.”

To his surprise, Ahkmenrah turned his head and buried his face against Chris’ neck.

“Thank you,” he mumbled. “I was… I was afraid I’d never get out… That I’d be trapped… That…”

The pharaoh gave a slight shake of his head, as if he didn’t want to continue. Chris managed a small smile.

“You’re safe now,” he said. “I promise. I promise I’ll be here with you every night.”

Ahkmenrah pulled back to look at him. He could see the tears that had yet to fall from the young pharaoh’s eyes. Such beautiful eyes. Chris didn’t look away.

“You’d do that?” Ahk asked. “You’d really do that?”

“Yes,” Chris said. “Yes, of course I would!”

The small smile that formed on Ahkmenrah’s lips then made Chris realise how far he had fallen for the pharaoh. For a split second, he was tempted to lean in and press a soft kiss to his lips. He could feel butterflies flutter around in his stomach and his heart began to beat faster. Then Ahkmenrah looked away.

“No one has ever done that for me before.”

The moment was gone. Chris bit the inside of his cheek and forced himself to breathe normally.

“It’s no big deal.”

“It is,” Ahkmenrah insisted. He was looking at the giant jackal statues now, yet his gaze was distant. “It means a lot to me.”

“I’m just doing what any friend would,” Chris said. Ahk turned his head to look at him. He managed a small laugh.

“So we’re friends now?”

“Dude, I visit you every night. Of course we are friends.”

Ahkmenrah nodded. “Then I am honoured to have you as my friend, Christopher of the Pilgrims.”

Chris couldn’t help the disappointment that twisted like a snake in his stomach.

Right.

_Friends._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so soooo sorry for the feels I might have caused you (not really). But this is a nudge in the right direction, right?

**Author's Note:**

> Sooooo yeah I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and I appreciate feedback. This is a lot harder to write because I need to set everything up properly with Chris' character and background. It might not be updated as often as I would like, so you have been warned. No idea how many chapters this will be, maybe 3, maybe 5, we simply don't know yet.


End file.
